In the beginning

Commencing with the formation of the Northumberland and Durham D.A. in 1894 there was a steady growth in the number of District Associations to about 20 in the 1920's. All of London, including the Essex fringes, was covered by the vast Metropolitan D.A. It was, I suppose, inevitable that an Essex. D.A. would be formed sooner or later but the actual catalyst was a notice put in a Romford shop window in 1923, and also in 'Cycling', by one Bert Froud asking for cycling companions. With the response a club was to become a CTC section and in 1924 an Essex Rally was held at Black Notley where discussions were opened with the Eastern Section, Metropolitan D.A. who suggested that a sub-section be formed and accordingly on December 6th 1924 the 'Romford sub-section of the Eastern Section of the Metropolitan District Association of the Cyclist Touring Club '(what a mouthful!) was formed. In January 1925 the "Wayfarer Wheelers" was wound up and later that year in December the sub-section was recognised as a full section. During the following couple of years Essex members, notably Eddie Engel and George Lane rode any miles around Essex D.A. Permission was eventually given by the CTC Council and on December 3rd 1927 (everything seemed to happen in December) the D.A. was formed at a meeting held at the "Bull" Blackmore. Well known local cyclist Thomas Grant Scarfe was elected first President with Dick Craig as Secretary. We were on our way.

At this first meeting D.A. colours of black and white were selected and on December 19th the Viking Road Club as an official racing off-shoot was founded.

It was of course a very different world from now into which the new D.A. was born. Cars and lorries were around in limited numbers but most deliveries were still made by horse and cart. Steam lorries were seen on the streets whilst in the London area around Ilford, and also when crossing into Kent by the Woolwich Free Ferry, trams and tramlines had to be contended with. There was a network of main and local railway lines, steam trains of course, covering the country. In Essex there were two lines to Maldon, the 'Crab and Winkle' line Kelvedon/Tollesbury, a line running from Witham via Braintree and Dunmow to Bishops Stortford and a spur from Elsenham to Thaxted.

Clubs cycles were all black and clubmen generally rode fixed wheel with similar gearing so that tight formation could be kept. The riders usually wore Norfolk style jackets with knee-breeches or plusses whilst the ladies wore a similar costume. Shorts were tentatively beginning to appear, worn by the bold.